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In D7684 it was discussed that the way the Steam installation and upgrade instructions integration I had added to the manual weren't particularly clear. So the Steam integration into the manual has been split off to it's own task simply so D7684 could be accepted as it offered useful information for the manual that would be great to get in before 2.83 release.

This diff, in the first revision, is the exact same as it was when proposed in D7684. This means the integration still isn't that great. I would like to hear feedback from other users on what should be changed, added, or removed from the diff so the Steam installation and upgrade information can be added in to the manual in a straight forward way.

I would start with a general introduction as to what Steam is. As this page can be read without much context, I think this would be appropriate.

There should be a list of supported platforms.

There should be some info about system integration. For example, if I install Blender via Steam, does it integrate with the system's file browser? In other words, will double-clicking a blend file start Blender-from-Steam to open that file?

Steam can be configured to not always auto-update. The current text implies that the Blender installation would ignore this setting and always auto-update.

Edit: Having some technical difficulties on my end. May take a few minutes for me to upload the diff.

Steam can be configured to not always auto-update. The current text implies that the Blender installation would ignore this setting and always auto-update.

I have decided not to add this part to the diff as Steam has automatic updates enabled by default and need to be explicitly turned off. I believe any user that explicitly turns off automatic updates will know that Blender won't receive automatic updates.
Just say if you would still like me to add it.

There should be some info about system integration. For example, if I install Blender via Steam, does it integrate with the system's file browser? In other words, will double-clicking a blend file start Blender-from-Steam to open that file?

I have added a section for this, however I have some questions relating to it:

I assume the .blend file is not associated with Blender when installed with Steam. This is based on a test with installing Blender on a Windows computer. Correct me if I am wrong.

On the /getting_started/installing/macos page there is no description on how to assign .blend files to Blender. I do not own a Mac and thus do not know what to add here. I've searched around for guides online, but they seem to be using a older version of MacOS and I'm unsure if things have changed.

Here are the excerts for assigning .blend files on Windows and Linux:

Windows:
However, if you want a particular version to be registered with your computer the simply run `blender -r`
from the :doc:Command Line </advanced/command_line/arguments>.

Linux:
For ease of access, you can configure your system by adding a menu entry or shortcut for Blender.
You may also associate blend-files with Blender so that when selected from the file browser,
they will automatically open in Blender.
These settings are typically found in conjunction with the Window Manager settings. (Gnome or KDE.)

I have removed this from the current diff manually as I don't know if it will cause issues. Is this something I should be worried about? Should I continue to remove it manually from future diffs?
Note: Running SVN on Linux.

'install it to your system' → 'press the Install button'. This manual is supposed to explain how to install Blender via Steam. It's a nitpick, but IMO an installation manual shouldn't say "install the software" ;-)

'install it to your system' → 'press the Install button'. This manual is supposed to explain how to install Blender via Steam. It's a nitpick, but IMO an installation manual shouldn't say "install the software" ;-)

That makes sense. However, with Steam the button is labeled as "Free". I've included your suggestion as it's more "universal" than press the free button and makes more grammatical sense. However, just say if you would like me to change it.

Once logged in, navigate to the *Store* tab, search for "Blender", and press the green installation button.

By mentioning that the installation button is green, it's clearer for the reader that this is a description of the button. I hope this will prevent them from searching a button that's labeled "install".

By mentioning that the installation button is green, it's clearer for the reader that this is a description of the button.

Yeah, it's clearer in that sense. It still has the issue of the fact that at any point in time Steam could receive a redesign and the button could be blue for example.

Maybe we do just simplify it so we don't have these specifics. Or we just accept the fact we have to update it everytime Steam receives a redesign which isn't that often from what I can tell. Not sure. I'll leave the decision to you. In the meantime, I've updated it to include the "green installation button" text you suggested while removing the double "ands".

I think having the specifics here is fine. When people complain they can't find the green button we can change the text. I think it's more important to be clear about where to click & what to do, than to have a text that's valid for the infinite future.

@Sybren A. Stüvel (sybren) So far, the only thing I see left to add for this patch is instructions on how to assign .blend files to Blender installed through Steam on macOS. I will need input from someone else on this part. Unless you have something else you want changed.

I could also try adding instructions for Snap on Linux. However, it may be better to address this in a different commit.

The only thing missing is instructions on how to assign .blend files to Blender installed through Steam on macOS.

@Aaron Carlisle (Blendify)@Sybren A. Stüvel (sybren) I will ask around on the internet to see if someone can explain the process to me. I've checked for guides online, however I'm not sure how accurate they are due to a bunch of weird things in how Steam installs applications.